The present invention is directed to an abdominal exercise machine with several features improving the user's ability to exercise better: i) a pivot axle permitting the actuator arm to rotate about a vertical axis allows the user to exercise oblique muscles, ii) a rotational connection between the shoulder harness and the balance of the actuator arm to permit lateral crunches, and iii) the actuator arm has both a shoulder socket and an elbow joint, each of the pivotable joints requiring different forces permitting the user to perform abdominal crunches with a predetermined resistance.
The Nation's appetite for exercise equipment is virtually insatiable. Annual dollar expenditures for home exercise equipment is in the hundreds of millions in the US alone. Meanwhile, memberships to health clubs with access to commercial gym equipment continue to grow. This explains the large number of innovations in the area of exercise equipment. Still, none of the abdominal exercise machines offer the necessary range of motion to permit full ab development and toning.
The abdominal exercise machine of the present invention features several novel characteristics that enhance ab development and toning. The first is an abdominal exercise machine that features a resistance unit; a seat for supporting a user, the axis of the user's torso extending generally vertically upward from the seat in an at rest position; an actuation unit positioned adjacent to the seat and pivotally connected thereto so that the actuation unit may pivot about an axis of rotation immediately adjacent and generally parallel to the axis of the user's torso; a cable interconnecting the resistance unit to the actuation unit, the cable having a length extending along the axis of rotation to facilitate pivoting of the actuation unit relative to the seat; whereby the user can manipulate the actuation unit in a twisting motion to exercise muscle groups including oblique and transversalis muscles.
The second characteristic of the abdominal exercise equipment of the present invention which may be used separately or in conjunction with the first, is an actuator arm with a dual pivot point permitting a secondary pivoting action which permits an abdominal stomach crunching motion which provides superior abdominal development and toning.
A third feature of the present invention is a novel engagement arm on the actuator. Hand grips are provided to allow the user to lower the shoulder-engaging pads into operative position. The engagement arm is attached to the balance of the actuator arm by a connection which permits 30° rotational movement in either direction with respect to the actuator arm. This rotational capability enhances the ability of the exercise machine to provide a measured amount of resistance to additional muscle groups in the abdominal and oblique muscle areas.
A scaled down, lower cost second embodiment is provided that has most of the same benefits of the first embodiment but which may be manufactured and sold at a fraction of the cost of the first embodiment to enable the machine to be more competitive in the low-end equipment market.
Various other features, advantages and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after a reading of the following specification.